Nathan Magsig
June 4, 2024 – In recent weeks, headlines have been dominated by debates over transgender athletes, political commentary, and the future of girls’ sports. As a parent of student-athletes for over two decades, I believe much of the national conversation misses a key point: this is not just a political or cultural flashpoint—it’s about fairness.
The California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) has faced scrutiny over its handling of recent competitions involving transgender athletes. The decision to amend policies following public pressure reveals a concerning inconsistency—and a lack of foresight. CIF’s approach to allowing athletes who are biologically male to compete in the girls’ division raises serious questions about competitive equity.
Take the case of transgender athlete AB Hernandez, who made headlines after securing two first-place finishes and a second at a major state competition. Based on their times and previous results, Hernandez would not have qualified for the CIF state finals in the boys’ division. Yet in the girls’ division, they reached the podium. This puts top-performing female athletes—who have trained for years—at a competitive disadvantage, forced to share space and recognition in a field that was not level.
To be clear, CIF did attempt to safeguard biologically female athletes from missing out on state finals placements due to this policy. But the damage is still done. For athletes who have sacrificed, trained, and dreamed of this moment, having their names marked with an asterisk in the record books is not fair—and it’s not right.
Women’s rights advocates have fought tirelessly for access and fairness in athletics, progress cemented in 1972 with the passage of Title IX. But the current actions of the CIF and state leaders threaten to undermine those hard-won protections by ignoring the biological distinctions that Title IX was intended to address.
Some have used former President Trump’s comments to polarize this issue further. But fairness in sport should never be a partisan talking point. This isn’t about left versus right—it’s about right versus wrong. Every athlete, regardless of identity, deserves respect. At the same time, we cannot ignore the responsibility to maintain competitive integrity in girls’ sports.
Our student-athletes should not be asked to navigate political controversy while competing at the highest level of their high school careers. Yet that’s exactly what happened at this year’s state finals. CIF could have avoided this controversy entirely by simply following the intent of Title IX: to provide girls with a fair opportunity to compete.
There is a clear and practical solution. Limit the girls’ division to biological females. This is not a call to exclude—it’s a call to preserve fairness, protect opportunity, and honor the promise we made to generations of young women who simply want the chance to compete on equal terms.
If we truly believe in empowering girls through sport, then we must protect the spaces that make that empowerment possible.
Nathan Magsig is a current Fresno County Supervisor, former Mayor of Clovis, and is running for the 12th Senate District which covers Fresno, Tulare, and Kern Counties. His family; wife Julie and their 3 children, reside in Clovis, California.